Rainbows from the Attic
by Dylan Lee Arwood
Summary: A suburban girl is sent off to P.E.I. for the summer when an obscure relative dies and leaves a family legacy in her name...
1. Chapter 1

**Rainbows from the Attic**

_Chapter I_

The air was heavy with humidity and falling droplets of sweet rain. It splattered on the pavement and streamed down the road to a sewer grate where it disappeared with a rhythmic trickling. A darkly dressed figure pattered down the road, water splashing up at her feet as she ran across the street towards a building on the other side.

The heavy door swung open and momentarily, the din of the summer storm echoed and boomed into the fluorescent lit front foyer. The figure stepped in purposefully, lowered her hood and shook out her glossy masses of rust colored hair. She squished quickly across the linoleum, not pausing as she yawned, obviously uninterested with everything in general. Torrential base was pounding from her earphones and her wet boots squeaked noisily on the floor. And yet her delicate features adorably keen and sparked with two warm brown eyes and scornful, even brows gave her the appearance of a rather disgruntled and misplaced wood elf.

* * *

A young man sat in an empty classroom, shuffling papers and placing various items from his desk into a worn briefcase. Under his breath, he was singing softly to himself as he worked. He looked up abruptly when a small but impatient _'ahem'_ sounded from the doorway.

"Hey Astrid," he said "How's it going?"

A girl stepped in and took at seat at the first desk she came to, pulled off her earphones, folded her hands and rested her noble chin upon them; all in one fluid motion.

"Hi Mr. B," she said a little sarcastically

The man sat at the desk opposite her and gave her a look of unmistakable concern.

"What's up?" he asked

"Well it's about that assignment you're making me do," she admitted, looking up, "I don't think I'm gonna be able to do it."

"And why's that?"

"Well this great uncle of mine died and we gotta go down and clean out his place and sort through his things and stuff. Go to the funeral and everything." She stated with a distinctly bored tone

"I'm sorry Astrid, for you and your family." he sounded so genuine, it stung her a little

"S'okay, I've actually never met him in my entire life. He was my Mom's, Mom's brother. Just nobody else wants to go over and do it, so my dad thinks we should."

"And tell me again why you can't do the assignment?"

"Uhh...I just told you that. We gotta go over there and go through all his junk. We'll be in P.E.I. for most of the summer."

"So... Why can't you bring it with you?"

"Are you joking? As this isn't going to be bad enough," she leaned back and crossed her arms, then shot him a singeing look as the thunder grumbled and the steely sky lit up with white fire.

"You got yourself here Astrid, unless you want to go off to summer school next week, or face me again next year in 12U English, you're going to have to find a way to get it done." They glared at each other for a moment; then Astrid uncharacteristically gave in and looked away

"Oh for God's sake. You can't do this, it's not fair."

"Excuse me but I'm doing you a favor. I don't have to give you a second chance. You don't really deserve one. But take it or I'll be seeing you next year," He stood up and plodded back over to where he was clearing out his desk

"Why are you doing this?" she asked with a tone of bitter suspiciousness

He sighed and scratched the back of his head, thenabruptly turned towards her as a smile crawled onto his lips.

"Ever heard of Goethe?" he said quickly

"What?"

"'_Treat people as if they were what they ought to be and you help them become what they are capable of being.'_ He was a poet, from the romantic period."

"I'm not in the mood for this right-"

"'_Who dreams of wider spheres revealed  
Up higher near the sky  
Within the valley's narrow field  
Cannot contented lie.  
Who longs for mountain breezes rare  
Is restless down below  
Like me for stronger purer air  
Thou pinest, too, I know,'" _He recited, his enthusiasm mounting with each word.

"I do not _pinest. _I have no idea what you are talking about."

"The Fringed Gentian my girl, by an unknown author."

"Oh puh-lease."

" Just one more _'I want to do my share of honest, real work in the world Anne... add a little to the sum of human knowledge that all the good men have been accumulating since it began. The folks who lived before me have done so much for me that I want to show my gratitude by doing something for the folks who will live after me' _That's Lucy Maude Montgomery."

"Well I can see you've gone to a lot of trouble to put this presentation together Mr. B; but I still am not seeing what this has to do with my doing this _stupid _assignment!"

"Oh you will, you will, I know it. And if you don't then, fine, I'll never bother you again."

She looked towards the ceiling and screwed up her mouth, in serious contemplation.

"So how about it?" he asked once she had slumped back over the desk

"What do I have to do again?"

"Just write, every day for a month about what you did, how you felt and what you've discovered." The thunder rolled again, more faint this time.

Astrid went off into a peal of silvery laughter, reeking of cynicism and undertones of forcedness. The man looked truly hurt and a little apprehensive.

"Sorry. Okay fine. I'll do it," she stood up and walked towards the door, pulling her headphones back over her ears, "Thanks I guess."

A smile burst across the man's face, seemingly in spite of himself.

"You're welcome," he said, "You are very welcome."

"Whatever," she said, waltzing out the door and then squeaking down the hall as the rain drummed steadily on the window panes.


	2. Chapter 2

**Rainbows from the Attic**

_Chapter II_

July 3rd, 05

Okay, so here goes.

Today we left my house for P.E.I. We were driving along, my four year old sister Mari was scribbling in her colouring book and getting snot all over my blanket. My dad was mumbling along with the radio and being his usual anti-social self. I was texting my friends on my cell because that makes him angry and makes me a little less angry. The usual.

Then I noticed something was up. He missed the turn off for the highway and was driving along calmly and collectedly, like nothing was wrong.

"Uhh dad, you missed the turn off you know..." I said

"_...you can't be everything you wanna be before your time...although it's so romantic on the borderline tonight..._" he mumbled, unresponsive and comatose

Then it hit me. It was obvious.

"I cannot believe you..." I said something like that at least, genuinely at a loss for resentment

"What?" now you have to understand when he said _what?_ he scratched his chin stubble in a really, really irritating way and sort of looked at himself in the rear view. Then the rage came.

I said something along the lines of "I _know _what you're doing...I KNOW WHAT YOU'RE DOING! _You're _not coming with us! I can't believe you." Then I let out this insane laugh that I think scared my sister a little because she started wailing.

I've calmed down a bit since then but I was _so_ angry. If there had of been a mirror I would have punched it and done the whole Avril Lavigne bit, believe me. You know that surge when the fury pumps through you and just spreads until every inch of you is shaking in wrath and aggravation. My head was pounding and my toes were rioting. You don't understand.

And then he just proceeded to sit there calmly and put his face in his hands and rub his eyes, then scratch his beard some more. He's such a selfish... seeing as how you're a teacher I can't say what I want to.

"I don't know what you want me to do. What do you want me to do?" he started to raise his voice a little, Mari was still balling

"I'm not going...I'm NOT a babysitter. Someone else can go." I believe I crossed my arms and looked out the window at this point

"Well they actually asked for you specifically..." he looked around and ruffled the hair at the back of his head, "They wanted to see Ravyn's daughters."

"That's a little creepy. Who are these people anyways... I bet you don't even know. You're sending your four year old daughter to stay with some strange old hermit, loner lady who probably lives on a cliff or something weird. You're so annoying. I hate you." Oooh... I hadn't pulled out the '_I hate you'_ thing since... a few months anyways. It didn't seem to faze him, Mari however stopped crying and sniffled a little.

"It's not my fault okay? You _always, always _blame people and I _just can't _deal with this right now. I _just can't." _

By 'this' he meant us. I decided I better back off though, something told me to. Maybe the fact that I realized that he used my mother's name for the first time in a year or maybe just the fact that he looked so tired, sort of wildly and savagely tired if you know what I mean. I felt really small in my seat and I couldn't find my voice. So, I just took my sister's sticky, sweaty little hand and opened the car door. Wondering vaguely what doom awaited me but not really worrying about it.

I got our ancient plaid suitcase from the trunk and wheeled it around to the driver's window. He handed me the train tickets and muttered something about:

"Roslin is a nice lady, and you have lots of family over there. Some of them came to the wedding. Call me at the office if there's a problem."

Then he just stared at us, silently and motionless. Then, all at once, he shifted into gear, wheeled around and drove away leaving us in the barren plain of the empty Via Rail parking lot.

"Goodbye daddy!" said Mari, waving her hand

"Yep. Goodbye. Com'on, we better get moving." I said quickly, finding my voice hoarse and catchy

Now we're on the train and Mari's head is lolling onto my shoulder and I'm sure she's drooling all over my new sweater. But there's one of those smiling old ladies who knit and think the entire human population under the age of 10 are their grandchildren and I think she might purse-slap me to death if I make a move. She keeps looking over here as if she wants to harvest our youthful organs and it's creeping me out.

I'm not really much for old people and little kids or babies. Sure babies are cute looking sometimes, I'll give them that. But otherwise they are whiney and gross and stupid until they can look after themselves. See why I shouldn't be babysitting? I'm too pretty.

In other news; I can't decide if I want to cut all my hair off or not. I always feel like doing something drastic to it when life hands me lemons, I don't really like lemonade. Maybe I'll give the old lady a thrill and keep it for a while, my mom used to say her family was famous for it; but she didn't get it and Mari didn't get it. I got it.

Anyways that's what happened to me today. Now I see why you assigned this. Wow my life is so fulfilled. NOT! This has been the adventures of seething and teething; Astrid and Mari Cleary. Until next time...


	3. Chapter 3

**Rainbows from the Attic**

_Chapter III_

Astrid stood at the white rails of the ferry that was chugging them across the small stretch of the Atlantic. She stubbed out a cigarette on the metal bars and then after only a moment's hesitation, flicked it overboard.

The gap between the two land masses was big enough to loose sight of the land at either end, as the white mists rose over the steel blue waters to hide the coasts from view. Astrid stood, eyes waiting for a glimpse of red soil over the crest of ocean, ear plugs in and blaring, sunrise hair whipping in the wind.

Mari was jumping over shallow puddles on the paved deck, squealing and tempting smiles out of the people sitting on the chairs nearby. Astrid looked over at her morosely, and Mari flashed her a gap-toothed grin and skipped over on skinny white legs.

"I'm hungry," she announced proudly

"Stop whining please, you're killing me," Astrid said coolly, "We'll eat once we get to the island."

"How much longer?" Mari asked, slinging her arms over the rails like Astrid, and stood on tip toes to peek over

"I don't know like 10 minutes probably."

"Who are we staying with Astri?"

"Like, some lady."

"Which lady stri?"

"Mom's family or something. I don't know."

"Mom, real Mom or Mom pretend Mom?"

"Veronica's not your pretend Mom she's Jeremy's wife. She's your step mom kind of."

"Is Jeremy the same Jeremy that's our Dad?"

"YES!...Now please stop talking or something. There's some kids playing down there."

"So real Mom or pretend Mom?"

"Real. Now woudjah go please? I'll find you when we get there and I'll buy you a sandwich or something. God. "

They had arrived in Halifax late the previous night. Then Astrid had dragged Mari to the bus stop where they waited two hours for the eleven o'clock to Caribou. About ten thirty Astrid was dozing off when her cell phone rang. She knackily flipped it open and pressed its plastic it to her ear.

"Hullo?" she had said groggily, the night air was purple and muggy with a cool, damp clearness to it

"Hay gurl! What the hell is up?"

Astrid cleared her throat and lowered her voice; speaking in slow, swooping syllables.

"Omigawd Sarah! I'm so glad to hear from you. You're too sweet." Astrid could hear herself saying

Sarah was two years older but they had still shared some classes last year. Astrid had skipped grade one back in elementary school, and Sarah had stayed an extra year at high school to pick up a few credits.

"Where are you even?" she sounded distracted, music was playing on her end of the line

"Some bus stop in Nova Scotia...My gawd I'm actually going to die. Where are you?"

"We're all partying at Emma's." she laughed and yelled something Astrid couldn't hear to someone Astrid couldn't see, "Too bad you're not here," her laugh was sickeningly sweet, Astrid got a jolt of something in between anger, envy and regret.

"Sweet?" she did her best to sound cool and indifferent, but it came out as a question somehow.

Suddenly and inexplicably Astrid's chest felt hollow, her eyes watered and stung. She bit her lip and dug her nails into her palm.

She tried to place the feeling, tried and failed.

They were all in a kind of impersonal line dance at the top of the social ladder; throwing each other about from arms to arms never really looking each other in the eyes. Just laughing always laughing, and talking but not speaking and never, never stopping the perpetual movement for a second.

Did she miss them? She missed the attention. She missed the power. She missed the respect, if that's what it was. Of course she missed them. They were her friends.

_Don't be an idiot _she told herself

"Got to go babes," said Sarah unflappably, "see you later."

_Beeep. _Was there any sound more full of despair than an empty dial tone?

A coach bus pulled up to the curb, the fumes from the exhaust filling Astrid's nostrils. She shook Mari awake rudely and then tramped through its open door and up the stairs. Mari stumbled in after her.

Then they had driven for hours in a very purple bus with cushioned seats of maroon. Mari fell asleep immediately but Astrid stayed awake, forehead glued to the cool dark window.

The first glimpses of sunlight were orange and faded in the distance when they got to Caribou where the ferry would take them to the Island. Little happened in between except waiting, handing over the tickets and then some more waiting, not to mention Mari tripped while running up the stairs and scraped her knee.

Astrid felt a little unnerved with ocean all around her, strangers all around her. Detached and desperate, quivering and sniveling like a lost child in a mall.

It was awkward to be alone with herself. Uncomfortable, unbearable to be listening to her own thoughts. She longed to be back where she was invincible. Everything bounced off them like light off mirrors.

_Stupid Mr. B _she said to herself _This was all his fault._

She could feel herself wriggling to get away, distracting herself so as to not listen to what was threatening to pop up in her head any second.

A few fiddlers were playing a wild and windy jig with swooping bows and savage fingers. A horde of tourists were laughing and snapping pictures in the salty spray at the bow of the boat. A group of teenage boys were sitting comfortably on the white plastic benches..._Bingo_

Astrid turned around completely and leaned against the rails coolly. She let her hair be whipped off her face and she looked up at the sky so that they'd get her good angle. It was her bad habit; she just could not help it. She felt better all of a sudden, like when the freezing kicked in at the dentist's. The grief counselor had called it something else, but she'd prefer to ignore that. Then she seeped back into the comfortable seams of apathy and out of the corner of her eye, glinting in the pale sunlight, she saw a hazy red smudge on the horizon.

They arrived on the island and Mari got her sandwich, Astrid had a diet coke. A fair amount of scoffing took place on Astrid's part, due in large part to the life size smiling statue of a certain Red-headed orphan lording over them all as they peeked in and out of gift shops and perhaps the fact that her pop had been in a glass bottle.

"How quaint," she had remarked bitterly. Mari was content to leap around in the tall, unbelievably green grasses pointing out to her older sister how there were 'little baby rainbows' where the water was crashing on the rocks.

Astrid took a piece of paper from her pocket, in her father's scratchy and sporadic script it told them to get on the next tour bus that would take them to the Eastern part of the island. At the end of the line they were to get off and wait for their great Aunt's friend to come and _'collect'_ them. 'Ask for someone named Matt' it said.

Astrid looked up, Mari was gone. Her heart lurched and surged with frustration. She stood up quickly and walked purposefully towards a crowd of children who were watching a man playing the bagpipes. She peered at the upturned faces, but Mari's grey inquisitive eyes were not among them. Her palms were sweating buckets and she wiped them hastily on her pants.

But then she saw a jolt of black hair out of the corner of her eye. She turned on her heel to see Mari, sitting patiently on their suitcase. Some sort of releasing sensation washed over her. She couldn't place it.

"Where were you?" Astrid exploded angrily

"I went to look for you," Mari smiled and scrunched up her nose

"What do you mean? I was right here!" she yelled, eyes glaring, nostrils flaring

"Oopsie." Mari shrugged cutely and smiled again

"Well, just stay where you can see me next time. I don't feel like running after you all the time."

"Astri why are you crying?" Mari asked, wide eyed

"I'M _NOT_!... Look there's our bus, let's go."

A monstrous tour bus had snarled into the parking lot.

Three hours later, they were the only ones left on the bus. Seascapes of navy blue and red and rolling white dunes had flashed by. The driver pulled off the narrow road, up beside what looked like an abandoned train station platform.

"Last stop ladies. Off we get." The driver turned around in his seat and looked over his aviator sunglasses at them

"Thanks," said Astrid lowly

"Bye bye," chirped Mari

Astrid lugged the suitcase down the bus stairs. The driver tipped his hat to them and the bus screeched off. She hauled the one piece of luggage up onto the platform and sat down on a crummy old bench.

Sure enough embedded in the gravel and sprigs of grass she could see rusty crumbling old rails. She looked around her. The platform was fairly substantial, wooden, with badly chipping and flaking white paint. She looked at the wall behind her, there was a dark, faded sign. Astrid squinted to make out the letters. G...GL? No, it was no use. Not that she cared to know or anything.

A loud ringing bang sounded quite suddenly from a small metal shed at the other end of the platform. Her heart pounded and she breathed very quickly and deeply, looking towards the source of the noise.

And then from the door of the ominous metal shack... A small black head peeked out and giggled insanely.

"It's only me," said the laughing Mari

"Eww that's disgusting, get out of there!" shouted Astrid

"I think a doggy lived in here. Arf Arf," said Mari thoughtfully, wriggling out the door

Astrid took her mp3 player out of her purse and shoved the earphones in her ears. She checked her watch and then looked out in front of her. The forest of greenery opened up onto a network of reddish-orange cliffs. Beyond that was a blinding, glistening lattice of waters, with the occasional frothing whitecap charging it's gallant cavalry against the rocks.

_Ask for someone named Matt_

Ask who exactly? Planning had never been her father's forte.

_Well, caring about other people had never been his forte_, Astrid mused.

She walked down to where Mari was playing in the dirt and shielded her eyes as she peered down the road. She strained for the spark of the sunlight of a car, but there was nothing. And then... a slow moving black dot materialized on the horizon. She squinted and decided at least they could ask who Matt was, or if they knew Roslyn. Then she settled herself on the wooden step and leaned her head in her hand.

It took a lot longer than she had wagered, and the sun was high and livid in the sky. She looked again to see that the dot had grown considerably larger, then, laid back and lifted her arms over her head. Her ears picked up a faint singing in between the lyrics from her music. When it grew louder she looked questioningly at Mari, who seemed to be enjoying it and was humming along. Astrid pulled out an earphone and sat up slowly.

It was someone, a boy, riding towards them on a bicycle, dragging a...was it a wagon?... behind him. Astrid took out her other earphone and smiled in spite of herself. He was belting out, at the top of his lungs, a song that was strangely familiar to her, somehow.

**'_Every person in the nation_****_  
_****_Or of great or humble station_****_  
_****_Holds in highest estimation_****_  
_****_Piping Tim of Galway_****_  
_****_Loudly he can play or low_****_  
_****_He can move you fast or slow_****_  
_****_Touch your hearts or stir your toe'_**

**He swerved on the road and almost fell, then straightened himself and rode on, still singing.**

'**_Piping Tim of Galway_**

**_When he walks the highways pealing_**_  
_**_Round his head the birds come wheeling_**_  
_**_Tim has carols worth the stealing'_**

**He wheeled off the road and into the empty lot. He approached so that Astrid was hidden from view. He put his bike up against the platform, walked over to Mari and kneeled down to her level.**

**"Hi kiddo... Is your name Mari Cleary?" he asked in a laughing and gentle voice**

**Astrid heard Mari giggle. The boy laughed too, airy and bubbly and rich. **

**"Well we had better get going, I promised Miss. Ford I'd bring you back soon. She's really excited to meet you, you know," the voice said kindly **

**Mari glanced over to where Astrid was hidden from sight, the boy looked too. **

**Astrid peeked out suddenly and said; "Are you Matt?" in a gesture uncharacteristically curious and animated. **

**The boy looked a little alarmed. He raised a quizzical dark brow and his honeyed eyes were darting. **

**Silence**

**And silence still.**

**Astrid cleared her throat.**

**"She's my sister?" offered Mari sweetly**

**"Oh..." he shook his head briskly, " I'm sorry. You must not be who I'm looking for then. Excuse me" he said to her and then gave Astrid a little half smile before scratching his chin and turning around**

**"No, no," said Astrid, standing up and brushing off her pants, "Someone _was_ supposed to come and get us at 4 o'clock. And she is Mari Cleary. And I'm Astrid Cleary. And we _are_ going to a Miss Ford's."**

**"There must be some mistake," he said smiling slightly and holding his helmet in his hands, "They told me there was only one of you...Mari."**

**"Nope sir," said Mari**

**"That's weird," said the boy who must be Matthew**

**"Yeah...well... My dad said that Roslyn was expecting us both," said Astrid lowering her voice and settling into monotone**

**"Alright then..." he scratched his head, his hair was black, and messy from the wind, "I guess you can put your suitcase in my wagon. You can ride my bike if you'd like," he gestured awkwardly to Astrid, "And I'll pull Mari in the wagon."**

**"Hooray!" exclaimed Mari clapping her hands, Astrid glared at her**

**"How far is it?" asked Astrid**

**"About a twenty minute walk I'd say," his sentences hung expectantly in a way that made Astrid keep answering without meaning too**

**"Okay," she said**

**"I'm Matt by the way," he said smiling again, extending a hand.**

**Astrid didn't take it, she merely pulled her earphones back on and headed for the bike. Matt wheeled around and held it out to Mari instead, who gave it a quick slap and jumped up, then ran off to the wagon.**

**"Com'on horsie!" she called then squealed with glee**

**"Cute kid" he said to Astrid who had dismantled the wagon from the bike and was making to hop on the seat.**

**"HAH!" she said sarcastically**

**He narrowed his eyes at her and shielded them from the sun. Then he gave her the same quizzical look as before**

**"What?" she demanded rudely**

**"I don't know... You look so familiar... I swear I've seen you before somewhere."**

**Astrid tied up her hair **

**"You got a last name?" she asked a little defiantly**

**"Yeah... it's"-**

**"HORSIE!" Mari screamed before letting out a shriek of laughter. He chuckled and jogged over to where she was standing beside the suitcase.**

**Astrid rolled her eyes automatically. Then turned on the bike and urged it forward, but it wouldn't go. She had to stretch to reach the handlebars and tried to jiggle the front tire a little. The whole thing wobbled and she screamed and threw her hands over her head as it toppled over with her still on it.**

**She landed on the gravel and salty dust swirled around her upon impact. He came running over.**

**"You okay?" he said, concerned**

**Astrid coughed and spluttered.**

**"Do you need help?"**

**Astrid looked up and didn't say anything for a moment**

**"God no, get off me please. What's wrong with this thing?" she said harshly, looking down**

**"Uh..." his eyes were dancing a little, but he managed to keep a straight face, "kickstand." He shrugged**

**Astrid decided it would be most advantageous to not respond. So she slithered up from under it and dusted off her chalky legs with chalky hands, fretting over her nails. Matt picked the bike back up and set it straight. Mari was looking on, with a worried look.**

**"Happens to the best of us," Matt said jollily, "Maybe I should put the seat down a little?" **

**"No...no, that's quite alright. I think I'll walk after all actually," said Astrid callously, enunciating each syllable with care **

**"Alright,"**

**The three of them set off down the road, Mari in the wagon; marveling at the red dirt and gazing at greenery and the sea in the distance, bracing her freckly face to the wind and Matt pulling the wagon and whistling expertly. Then after them, Astrid; walking the bike and staring at the pavement beneath her rock filled shoes, the same irate sun beating down at the back of her neck. **


	4. Chapter 4

**Rainbows from the Attic**

_Chapter IV_

July 6th, 05

So I missed a day or two... What are you going to do?

So we were dropped off at this crazy railroad station that was falling apart and filthy and everything, in the middle of this absolute god forsaken hick town. And wouldn't you know it... Nobody was there to get us. Sweet right?

Then this total loser geek scum of the earth arrived. And it was made even more frustrating because he could have been hot, and actually made my trip worthwhile... If he weren't such an absolute king of awkward Nerddom. It really bothers me when that happens... I might have pretended he was just one of the guys back home, but then he kept doing something nerdy things and it just was not fair...To me...And maybe him, I don't know how his type lives. You know... khaki shorts, collared shirts, probably plays a musical instrument of some sort and most likely reads those "novels" you speak so highly of. Hardy har har.

About a zillion hours later we got to this ugly yellow house, with white gingerbread swirls snaking down the trim and a reddish coloured roof over which I could make out a rickety old barn... yuck... But of course that's when this dude decides to stop and say:

"Here it is... Tell your aunt I say hi will you?"

_No I will not give my great aunt any such message. _My god... Such enthusiasm! He was so annoying!

"What are you...The neighborhood grandson?" I said to myself for amusement, or at least I thought I did, maybe not, because then he laughed for no apparent reason and shook his head

Mari didn't seem to want him to go away...the little hussy. She started whining and pouting and stomping. I took a seat on a bench and rested my chin in my hands. It was unbelievably hot and sticky, none of these Atlantic breezes they tell me about were anywhere to be found.

He told her she'd see him again while he finished attaching the wagon back on to his lame bike and swung a leg over the seat.

"See you around Astrid," he said to me, or someone in the near vicinity with my kick-ass name. Okay it's not so kick-ass, I hate it... It makes me sound like a medicine woman. But whatever.

He probably would have tipped his hat and clicked his heels just to accentuate his lameness. But unfortunately for my sarcasm, these items were not available. So he just rode off dark locks streaming in the moist, salty breezes... You liked that didn't you, the descriptive sentence? You badass poetical dog you. Well cherish it because you ain't getting _any_ more of that crap.

Well we lumbered up the walkway. I may add it was lined with these incredibly tacky seashells or something. I went up to the royal blue door and knocked upon it. Nobody answered...of course. So, tired, sticky, sweaty and peevish as I was; I tried the brass knob, it turned, and the door swung open.

I was hit with wafts of sweet baking smells and the unmistakable cat odour. The floors were a deep red wood, the doors were antique looking and had stupid little porcelain door knobs. There were hoards of books and shiny pointless knickknacks like you might see in a Magpie's nest.

I called out "hello!" once or twice...And then, in no mood for the social intricacies of walking into a person's house that you've never met before but is apparently the maiden aunt of your mother... I collapsed upon a fairly used couch and my aching calves praised me for it. Mari who had followed me in bounced down beside me, sucking noisily on a lollipop the boy had presented her with during our trek... To keep her quiet I guess.

The stubby coffee table that stood before me was strewn with the workings of a serial killer; old soft edged pictures, newspaper clippings and a random junk. Finding my Ipod out of batteries, I picked up some pictures and started flipping through them nonchalantly. As I said, I was in no mood for propriety (if that's even a word).

In them there were a few brown and beige people in ruffly bathing suits and bathing caps on the shore and some random portraits of stern, stiff necked anonymous strangers. I flipped to a Shirley Temple-like mug shot of a young woman in a graduation gown and cap. Kind brown eyes and irritating dimples; surrounded by wispy dark curls.

I was about to put the piles back on the table when something caught my attention and seized my eyes. Out of the piles of pictures a corner poked out exposing a portion of a face. I leaned over to get a better look and then thumbed it out further, my stomach plunged. Plunged like summiting the first hill on a roller-coaster, rounding corners in the dark, disembodied noise, shadowy movement in an empty house. I was paralyzed. My muscles clenched and liquefied.

Mari's eyes...It was a man but they were Mari's eyes. He was wearing a uniform or something. I cocked my head to the side and squinted. My hands were freezing and melting. I didn't dare draw it out further for all I was worth.

Then a noise shook me and my body tensed. I could feel Mari's nails digging into my thigh. I forced myself to look up. My chest and heart concaved... I looked down sharply at the pictures on my lap and the back up again. It was the girl from the graduation picture, but now old and senile. Come alive from beyond the grave and now bent on eating our brains so she could enslave us as her minions in her quest for eternal youth. I offered Mari as a human sacrifice but the zombie in the yellow sundress would not accept.

But, no... Breathe... She was smiling kindly and gently, clasping her soil covered hands

"Hello there" she said, soft and smooth and peanut buttery

Kind, dreamy brown eyes, wispy curled hair; white and lifeless and a barley legible dimple hidden in a crisscross nest of wrinkles.

The zombie removed a straw sunhat.

Listen to me, babbling like one of those desperate school freaks. I'm so delusional with boredom. You get up to some pretty crazy shenanigans when you're friendless, internet-less, phone-less, t.v.-less, hot boy-less. Holy mother moly. I swear to god if you show this to _anyone _my friends especially... I _will not for one second hesitate_ to burn all your copies of Catcher in the Rye and all that Shakespeare..._In_ front of you. And then I'm just assuming you would take your own life so I won't bother with even mentioning that... But don't take it for granted that I wouldn't do that too, because I would.

"I've been waiting a long time to meet you both," she said

Eww creepy

"My name is Roslin."

I still stand by my former verdict. She looked like she wanted to hug us or something. I gave her a look. We weren't huggers.

Then she spotted the pile of pictures on my lap and she swooped around the table to tear them from my hands and stuff them hastily in a nearby drawer. She must be one of those old people who turn out to be nimble and quick and dangerous, always giving me the feeling that they had a hidden agenda. She turned around with a smile again.

"I'm sorry about the mess girls; I have a geeky passion for geneology... And also that I wasn't here when you arrived; I was out back gardening. I wonder that Matty didn't come in and find me for you."

She didn't really say that. To tell you the truth I don't know what she said, my listening skills have never been all that great. I just nodded and then turned my body so Mari fell out of my lap and onto the couch beside me. I suddenly realized neither of us had spoken yet.

"Uhhh... So am I not supposed to be here? Because my dad said we were supposed to clean... whoever's... house up but then...uhh... That dude said that he didn't know that I was going to be there at that station and so I'm not sure..." it came out in one long string of words that just trailed off into nowhere.

She was still smiling. I don't know why but a hoarse lump formed in my throat and when I tried to swallow my eyes watered. And she was still smiling.

"If you don't w-want me I'll guess I'll be going..." I don't know what the hell came over me... My chin quivered like an idiot four year old... She just went on smiling

"I don't know how this could have happened. I thought your father said you wouldn't want to come. Of course I want you dear! Your mother was my favorite niece and it's lovely to finally meet her beautiful daughters." She sat down on a armchair across from us

Nobody said anything but then Mari leaned over and whispered to me that she had to go. I pushed her off of me.

"Now that you mention it, I guess I could use your help cleaning out Simon's attic," she looked overjoyed at the prospects, "Only if you want to of course. I daresay there are countless treasures hidden away up there waiting to be found. Those pictures you were looking at... He had them stuffed in a drawer all this time!"

It seemed senseless to point out that she had just stuffed them in a drawer herself. I wondered briefly if I should say something about her brother. It never seemed like "I'm sorry" cut it. It's more like "I'm sorry... I have nothing better to say and I want to get past this awkward moment so I can keep worrying about my own problems... I'm sorry."

Mari gave a whiney whimper and clamped her legs together.

"There's a bathroom there dear. Feel free," Roslin said kindly

Mari looked apprehensive but I gave her a nudge and she stumbled up and then beelined it over. Roslin chuckled.

We sat there in silence after I refused to bite at her conversation baits and she eventually gave up.

Mari came back and I felt that the initial unease of meeting had passed and we settled down into the apathetic lull.

"How are you Marilla?" asked Roslin, leaning over to Mari's level and taking her hand

She said it in a way that hurt my pride a little, a social worker way, sad and sorry and accusatory. Sure Mari was a little scrawny and her hair was a rat's nest. Her clothes were covered in gravel dust from the train station and her finger nails were uneven and dirty and gross. But this stranger had no right... Mari is really smart and I guess a little cute sometimes. She's already reading on her own and I know I didn't teach her and I'll be damned if my father did. As for this _Marilla-_ I wasn't sure what that was supposed to mean but it seemed to suggest it was all my fault.

Mari looked at her and crooked her head to one side, "Who's Marilla?" she asked scrunching up her nose

"Well that's your name isn't it?" Roslin flashed a smile, looked at me and looked back at Mari, she was one of those people who took kids way too seriously

I turned to Mari... "Is it?" I asked

Mari shrugged.

Roslin coughed.

"Well you both must be very hungry anyways. I'll get some lunch."

"McNuggets?" Mari said hopefully and Roslin laughed a strange outlandish laugh that I wanted to hear again.

I pulled out my cell phone out of habit and started pressing a few buttons.

"Oh I'm sorry. You must want to call your father. There's a phone in the kitchen Astrid."

"Uhh no."

Call my father? Ahahah. Oh yeah... I guess that's what people do. Meh. I looked at my cell phone... Out of service, _perfect_...No one would be able to reach me.

"Actually yeah can I?"

"Of course."

I went into the kitchen. It was cheery with white walls, a bowl of lemons on the counter and pale sunlight streaming in through the panes of a giant window over a copper sink. But there were too many potted plants for my comfort. A black cat shot out from behind one of them and smoothed its body along my calf. I went over to the phone but hesitated as I reached to pick it up.

Oh man why did she have to be so trusting? It was too easy. I found I couldn't manage to call one of my friends after all. Not today anyways.

I checked my cell for service again hopefully and desperately. No dice. Nuts.

I wound through the open doors back to the front room where Mari was still sitting across from Roslin. Mari's eyes were wide and her chin was resting in her little fists as she listened attentively.

They laughed over something I had missed.

Mari smiled. Oh yes I could see the unquestioned infatuation in her eyes. They would be just the best of friends doing cute little grandmotherly stuff together and I would be the dark shadow, lulling in the corners and spoiling their snapshots.

Mari's always like that, she has no use for me but then some stranger will come along and she'll be all over them trying to get adopted or something. People were like that too, pretending to care about some little kid so much and then when they stop being cute and get awkward and pimply they drop them.

We had our sandwiches and then she showed us upstairs to our room. Mari and I have to share, which I'm not too happy about. The walls are papered green and the bed is wrought iron with a white bedspread. The window looks out into the garden and it has a seat built in. It suddenly started to pour outside and the rain soothed me into a drooly dreamless sleep.

When I woke up the house was dark and Mari was snoring beside me. I went to the window; the first pink lights were glowing on the far horizon. I couldn't get back to sleep so I went downstairs and I started writing. This seriously should count for at least three entries if there is any fairness in the world. That's all there is to it.


End file.
